Saskia Tjepkema

Supporting people on realising their drive

Putting it simply, there are two ways an organisation might pursue its goals. You can either set targets, determine procedures and monitor the results. Or you take a look at what is already there, mobilise energy, build trust and make a move towards a desirable goal together. Though many organisations are framed on the first approach, people are often looking for the second: achieving results together, learning collectively, along the way.

To me, self-direction and connectedness are key to this. I see self-direction as shaping those things that matter to you. If successful, this brings satisfaction and builds personal confidence. And by connectedness I mean tackling issues as a whole, and as a group.

Building a process on these key ingredients involves activities such as setting a course together, sharing drives and values, entering into dialogue, mapping talent and strengths, reflecting, researching and experimenting. An organic process for sure, but one that can be focused!

And when it works... I love seeing people making full use of their capabilities to jointly realise their vision or alone. In the end, the energy and inspiration this generates are what it is all about for me.

I work on very different projects - such as team coaching, individual coaching, management & leadership programmes, peer review, action research... Goal-oriented and autonomous learning are always key words. Innovation and change often play a role, too. My role is to design a rich learning environment and facilitate the learning process. I like to use stories, questions, imagery and experiments.

I love the work I do, which is why exchanging ideas and collaboration with colleagues from other organisations is important to me. Innovating our HRD profession by creating new and practical solutions. And learning from each other along the way! I also enjoy working with leaders and managers, as they play an important role in the development of people and organisations.